Tech fix: What to do when you can't download apps to your Android phone
Unfortunately, there are times when the apps you want to add to your Android won’t download. You may try and try but end up staring at the screen, waiting endlessly for the app to load on your device.
Complicating the issue is there are tons of reasons apps won’t download. Here are some steps to troubleshoot the problem and download apps again on your Android.
1. Check that you have a strong Wi-Fi or mobile data connection
If you can’t download apps on your Android device, you should start by checking your connection. In some cases, this is the cause of downloading troubles. No Wi-Fi or mobile data connection equals no downloads because your phone or tablet won’t communicate with the Google Play Store.
You may be able to resolve the issues by checking your data connection. This is applicable whether you’re using Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Signs of a bad connection include:
- Downloads don’t start, time out or remain at 0%.
- Google Play is stuck on “Loading…”
- You can’t load web pages in a browser.
To check your Android mobile connection:
- Open your Settings app > Wireless and Networks or Connections > Mobile data or Cellular data. You may need to select Data usage on some devices before seeing this.
- Turn mobile data on. If it’s already on, turn it off and on again.
- Check that there is a data indicator (for example, 3G, 4G, 5G) next to the signal strength bars at the top of the screen.
- Note that sometimes this will not display if you have an active Wi-Fi connection. If this is the case, turn Wi-Fi off and check back.
You may be in an area without coverage if you don’t see a signal data indicator. If you can, move to a different location (for example, go outside) and recheck your signal.
To check your Wi-Fi connection:
- Open your Settings app > Wireless and Networks or Connections > tap Wi-Fi. Depending on your device, these options may be different.
- Turn Wi-Fi on.
- Find the Wi-Fi connection indicator at the top of your screen.
- If this is not displayed, or none of the bars are filled in, you may be out of range of a Wi-Fi network.
- Move closer to the router, check if you have a stronger Wi-Fi connection, and try again.
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